President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the composition of Nigeria’s delegation to the newly created US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a key mechanism designed to deepen security cooperation between both countries.
The approval follows last week’s high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., where a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, held strategic talks with senior US security and diplomatic officials on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, defence reform and border security.
The Joint Working Group emerged as one of the major outcomes of the Washington engagements and will serve as the primary platform for coordinating and implementing bilateral security agreements.
In a statement on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, announced that President Tinubu had appointed Ribadu to lead the Nigerian side of the body.
According to the statement, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of steps to deepen collaboration in tackling security challenges in the country.”
A MULTI-AGENCY TEAM
Ribadu will be supported by a high-level team drawn from critical ministries, agencies and security institutions. Members include:
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar
- Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar
- Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
- Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard Doro
- Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede
- Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed
- Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
To ensure seamless coordination, Ms Idayat Hassan from the Office of the NSA and Mr Paul Alabi from the Nigerian Embassy in Washington will serve as the Joint Working Group’s secretariat.
President Tinubu urged the team to work closely with US counterparts to ensure the full implementation of all commitments reached during the Washington discussions.
DEEPENING A DECADE OF SECURITY PARTNERSHIP
Nigeria and the United States have expanded security engagement over the past decade, collaborating in counterterrorism, border security, maritime safety and anti-kidnapping operations.
However, the Tinubu administration is pushing for a more structured, long-term partnership in response to escalating threats posed by terrorism, banditry, arms trafficking and transnational criminal networks.
The renewed cooperation follows years of diplomatic tension, including the period during which former US President Donald Trump criticised Nigeria’s handling of religiously targeted violence and threatened punitive action.
The Joint Working Group is expected to boost intelligence fusion, enhance training and equipment support for Nigeria’s armed forces, and improve coordination between humanitarian actors and security agencies in conflict-affected areas.
With Ribadu at the helm, the Presidency says it expects accelerated implementation of agreed frameworks, particularly those aimed at strengthening national and regional security operations.
